JP2011014281A - Skin material of vehicular seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a temperature difference between a heat generating linear spot with a conductive thread and its surrounding by obscuring its contour even when an arrangement of the conductive threads is not dense in the case the conductive threads are mounted near a seat occupant.SOLUTION: A skin material 31 for a vehicular seat composing a seating surface contacted by the seat occupant is at least partially covered with a conductive backing material 35 on its back surface 31b which is a back side of a surface 31a composing a seating surface. The conductive threads 23 generating heat with supply of current are arranged along the surface of the skin material 31 contacting to the conductive backing material 35 so that the conductive backing material 35 is also supplied with current through the conductive thread 23. Thus, a seat heater is constructed by generating heat with both the conductive thread 23 and the conductive backing material 35.

Description

  The present invention relates to a skin material for a vehicle seat.

  Conventionally, there has been a vehicle seat with a heater function that can warm a seating surface by mounting a heating element under a seat cover (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). According to such a vehicle seat, comfort at the time of sitting can be improved. However, many seat covers are laminated with a thin urethane pad on the back of the skin material from the viewpoint of shape retention, etc. When a heating element is placed under the seat cover, the urethane pad looks like a heat insulator. It was difficult to increase the heat transfer efficiency.

  Therefore, when attention is paid to the planar heating element, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a woven fabric in which conductive yarns (conductive yarns) and electrically insulating yarns are woven as warp yarns and weft yarns, respectively. It is disclosed. According to this fabric, the fabric itself can generate heat by connecting the electrodes to both ends of each of the plurality of conductive yarns and energizing them.

JP 2003-297532 A JP-A-6-295780

  If a fabric containing conductive yarn as described in Patent Document 2 can be applied to the skin material of a vehicle seat, the conductive yarn can be heated at a position closer to the seat occupant, so heat transfer efficiency to the seat occupant Can be improved. However, since the heat generated by the conductive yarn is directly transmitted to the seated person, it becomes easier for the seated person to clearly recognize the heat generation point. That is, it becomes easy to recognize the outline of the heat generation location due to the conductive yarn, and the heat generation location can be easily recognized as a line shape. As a result, it becomes easier for the seated person to feel the temperature difference between the conductive yarn and the non-heated region between the conductive yarn, and there is a new concern that comfort may be reduced. Therefore, if the conductive yarns are densely arranged and the linear heat generation area due to the conductive yarns is brought close, the contour of the heat generation point due to each conductive yarn can be felt by making the occupant feel that the surface is generating heat. Since it is blurred, it is thought that the said concern can be eliminated. However, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of increasing the cost due to an increase in the amount of conductive yarn used.

  Therefore, the problem of the present invention is that when the conductive yarn is arranged near the seated person, the outline of the linear heat generation portion by the conductive yarn is blurred without the arrangement of the conductive yarn being dense. It is to reduce the temperature difference from the surroundings.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
The present invention is a skin material for a vehicle seat constituting a seating surface with which a seated person comes into contact, and at least a part of the back surface opposite to the surface constituting the seating surface is coated with a conductive backing material. In the surface direction of the skin material, a conductive yarn that generates heat when energized is disposed so as to contact the conductive backing material, and the conductive backing material is also energized via the conductive yarn. The conductive backing material together with the conductive yarn generates heat to constitute a seat heater.

  According to the skin material having such a structure, the conductive backing material around the conductive yarn also generates heat, and the heat generation portion develops as a surface. Therefore, the conductive yarn is arranged without making the conductive yarn dense. The temperature difference between the portion where the conductive yarn is not provided and the portion where the conductive yarn is not disposed can be reduced.

  In the skin material, when the conductive yarn is included in the structure of the skin material, the heat generated by the conductive yarn can be transmitted to the seated person more efficiently, and the conductive yarn is disposed. The temperature difference from the place where the conductive yarn is not disposed can be reduced, which is preferable.

  It is also preferable that the electric resistance value of the conductive backing material gradually changes in the surface direction of the skin material. In this case, by adjusting the electrical resistance value of the backing material, while reducing the temperature difference between the heat generation location and its surroundings, the heat generation temperature at the position where the seated person is likely to feel the heating effect is relatively increased. It is possible to easily achieve a reduction in temperature difference between the location and its surroundings and a relatively high heat generation temperature at a specific position.

According to the skin material of the vehicle seat of the present invention, the effect of reducing the temperature difference from the surroundings by blurring the outline of the linear heat generation portion due to the conductive yarn without densely arranging the conductive yarn. Play.
Further, when the conductive yarn is included in the structure of the skin material, the above effect can be obtained while the heat generated by the conductive yarn can be more efficiently transmitted to the seated person.
In addition, if the conductive backing material has a structure in which the electrical resistance value gradually changes in the surface direction of the skin material, the temperature difference between the heat generation point and the surrounding area is reduced, and the heat generation temperature at a specific position is relatively set. Can be easily achieved.

It is a perspective view of the vehicle seat which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of the skin material shown by FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the manufacturing method A of the skin material of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the manufacturing method B of the skin material of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the skin material shown in FIG. 4 taken along line VV. It is a perspective view of the vehicle seat which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the VII-VII sectional view taken on the line of the skin material shown by FIG.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 which is one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The skin material 31 of the present embodiment has a surface 31a that constitutes a seating surface with which a seated person comes into contact in the vehicle seat 11 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 11 includes a seat cushion 13 serving as a seat surface, a seat back 15 serving as a backrest, and a headrest 17. The seating surface with which the seated person of the vehicle seat 11 contacts is the outer surface of the seating surface 13 a of the seat cushion 13 and the backrest surface 15 a of the seatback 15. The skin material 31 of the present embodiment covers a pad that forms the seat surface 13a or the backrest surface 15a, and the surface 31a constitutes the whole or a part of the seating surface. FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle seat 11 in which a portion of the backrest surface 15a on which the seated person's waist is leaned is composed of the skin material 31 of the present embodiment. The skin material 31 accompanies the seat heater 21 and can warm the place where the waist is drooping. In FIG. 1, portions where heat is generated by the seat heater 21 are indicated by hatching.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the skin material 31 is made of a fabric 33. The fabric 33 includes a conductive yarn 23 as a fiber constituting the woven structure. The conductive yarn 23 is a yarn that generates heat when energized, and constitutes a heat generating portion of the seat heater 21. As the conductive yarn 23, for example, a carbon fiber (φ7 μm × 1000) having a resistance value of 5 to 10 Ω / cm can be used. The outer surface of the conductive yarn 23 is not covered with insulation, and the outer surface is in contact with a conductive material so that it can be electrically connected to the material. In the skin material 31, the conductive yarn 23 constitutes a woven structure of the fabric 33 as a warp yarn or a weft yarn together with a non-conductive fiber 37 such as a polyester fiber. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of conductive yarns 23 are arranged in parallel at intervals. As schematically shown in FIG. 2, an energizing member 27 is connected to both ends of the conductive yarn 23, and a power supply device 25 is connected to the energizing member 27, thereby forming a parallel circuit and enabling energization.

  As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the energization member 27 is connected to both ends of the conductive yarn 23, and the power supply device 25 is connected to the energization member 27, so that energization is possible. The energizing member 27 has conductivity, but preferably has a small electrical resistance value and hardly generates heat when energized. As the energizing member 27, for example, an annealed copper wire (φ0.05 mm × 22 wires) having a resistance value of about 1 mΩ / cm can be used. Such an energizing member 27 can be electrically connected to the conductive yarn 23 by, for example, sewing on the fabric 33 so as to intersect the conductive yarn 23.

In the skin material 31, the back surface of the fabric 33 is covered with a conductive backing material 35. As the conductive backing material 35, for example, a material obtained by mixing a conductive material with a binder resin such as urethane resin or acrylic resin can be used. As the conductive material, for example, conductive carbon particles can be used, and instead of conductive carbon, or in addition to conductive carbon, conductive fibers, metal particles, polymer conductive materials, etc. are used. be able to. It is preferable to use conductive fibers or metal particles in addition to the conductive carbon particles because it is easy to ensure conductivity. By adjusting the electrical resistance value of the conductive backing material 35, the heat generation temperature of the conductive backing material 35 can be adjusted. That is, if the electric resistance value of the conductive backing material 35 is reduced, the heat generation temperature can be increased, and if the electric resistance value is increased, the heat generation temperature can be lowered. The electric resistance value of the conductive backing material 35 is adjusted by the type, form, concentration, or the amount of the conductive backing material 35 applied to the fabric 33, etc. in the conductive backing material 35. For example, the electrical resistance value of the conductive backing material 35 is adjusted in the range of 0.5 to 5 × 10 ³ Ω · cm. When carbon is used as the conductive material, the carbon concentration in the conductive backing material 35 is adjusted within a range of approximately 3 to 30 wt%.

  The conductive backing material 35 is in contact with the outer surface of the conductive yarn 23 by interposing with the texture of the fabric 33. Thus, by energizing the conductive yarn 23, the conductive backing material 35 can be energized via the conductive yarn 23. Therefore, according to the seat heater 21 attached to the skin material 31, the energization member 27 functions as an electrode, and the electroconductive yarn 23 is heated by energizing the electroconductive yarn 23. When the conductive backing material 35 is energized and the conductive backing material 35 also generates heat, the entire skin material 31 exhibits a heating action.

About the preferable manufacturing method of the skin material 31, it divides roughly and illustrates two forms.
[Production Method A]
First, the manufacturing method A which is one manufacturing method of the skin material 31 is demonstrated, referring FIG. The manufacturing method A is a method for manufacturing the skin material 31 as an original fabric before being cut.
In the manufacturing method A, the skin material 31 is manufactured by covering the back surface of the fabric 33 including the conductive yarn 23 with the conductive backing material 35. As shown in FIG. 3, the conductive backing material 35 is hung from the nozzle 41 on the unfolded fabric 33 and pressed against the fabric 33, or the blade 43 is brought close to the conductive backing material 35. By removing the film, a film of the conductive backing material 35 having a smooth surface can be formed. In this case, at least one condition among the type and concentration of the conductive material contained in the conductive backing material 35, the viscosity of the conductive backing material 35, the feed rate of the fabric 33, or the pressure for pressing the blade 43 against the fabric 33. It is preferable to control so that the film of the conductive backing material 35 has a desired electric resistance value. The skin material 31 manufactured in this way is cut into a shape suitable for being provided on the backrest surface 15a of the vehicle seat 11 and used.

In the manufacturing method A, the connection of the current-carrying member 27 to the conductive yarn 23 can be performed after or before cutting the skin material 31 or before the conductive backing material 35 is applied to the fabric 33.
In the manufacturing method A, the method of covering the fabric 33 with the conductive backing material 35 can be changed. For example, the conductive backing material 35 can be sprayed and coated.

[Production Method B]
Next, the manufacturing method B which is one manufacturing method of the skin material 31 is demonstrated, referring FIG. The manufacturing method B is a method of manufacturing the skin material 31 in an appropriate shape for providing the backrest surface 15 a of the vehicle seat 11.
In the manufacturing method B, as shown in FIG. 4, the fabric 33 including the conductive yarn 23 is cut into a shape suitable for providing the backrest surface 15a in advance. And the skin material 31 can be manufactured by covering the back surface with the conductive backing material 35. At this time, preferably, both ends of the conductive yarn 23 are not covered with the conductive backing material 35. For example, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, if the positions of both ends of the conductive yarn 23 are covered with a masking member 45 when the fabric 33 is covered with the conductive backing material 35, the conductive yarn can be easily formed. It is possible to avoid covering both ends of the cover 23 with the conductive backing material 35. In FIG. 4, a portion covered with the conductive backing material 35 is shown with hatching. When the masking member 45 is removed, the end 34 (see FIG. 5) of the fabric 33 including the end of the conductive yarn 23 is exposed. If the current-carrying member 27 is connected to the conductive yarn 23 at the end 34 of the fabric 33, it can be easily connected.
In the manufacturing method B, the conductive member 27 is connected to the end of the conductive yarn 23 before the fabric 33 is covered with the conductive backing material 35, and the conductive backing material 35 is avoided by avoiding the connection portion. May be applied.

  According to the manufacturing method B, since the fabric 33 is cut into a size to be used and then covered with the conductive backing material 35, the conductive backing material 35 can be applied only to a necessary portion, and the conductive property The amount of the backing material 35 used can be minimized. Thereby, the influence on the environment can also be reduced.

According to the skin material 31 of the above structure, there exist the following effects.
Since the skin material 31 is energized to the conductive backing material 35 on the back surface 31b through the conductive yarn 23 to generate heat, the heat generating area can be secured as a planar region spreading around the conductive yarn 23. it can. In other words, even if the conductive yarns 23 are spaced apart from each other, not only the linear heat generation regions formed only by the respective conductive yarns 23 but also the surroundings are heated by the conductive backing material 35, thereby generating heat generation regions. Can be expanded into a planar shape. Therefore, the temperature difference between the location where the conductive yarn 23 is disposed and the location where the conductive yarn 23 is not disposed can be reduced. That is, in the skin material 31, the temperature boundary between the location where the conductive yarn 23 is disposed and the location where the surrounding conductive yarn 23 is not disposed is blurred, making it difficult for the seated person to feel uneven temperature. It has become.
Since the conductive backing material 35 includes a conductive material, it has a higher thermal conductivity than a conventional backing material that does not include a conductive material. The effect of blurring the boundary on the temperature is also easily exhibited by the fact that it is easy to transmit. In particular, when the conductive backing material 35 includes conductive fibers, metal particles, and the like, the thermal conductivity is high, and this effect can be further increased.
Further, the skin material 31 gradually changes the heat generation temperature in the surface direction by gradually changing the electrical resistance value in the surface direction of the conductive backing material 35 without changing the density of the conductive yarns 23, It is easy to add a temperature gradient. That is, while reducing the temperature difference between the heat generation point and its surroundings, for example, by relatively increasing the heat generation temperature at the position of the waist where the occupant is likely to feel cold, the occupant can easily feel the heating effect. It is possible.

In addition, this Embodiment 1 can consider other various embodiment within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.
For example, the skin material 31 is not limited to a woven fabric, and may be composed of a knitted fabric including the conductive yarn 23 as a constituent fiber in the knitted structure.

[Embodiment 2]
Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 which is one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the skin material 51 of the present embodiment, the surface 51a can constitute the whole or part of the seating surface (seat surface 13a, backrest surface 15a) of the vehicle seat 11. This is the same as the first embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates the vehicle seat 11 that constitutes a portion on which the waist of the seated person on the backrest surface 15a of the skin material 31 is leaned. The skin material 51 accompanies the seat heater 21 and can warm the place where the waist is drooping. In FIG. 6, portions where heat is generated by the seat heater 21 are indicated by hatching. In the description of the present embodiment, members that do not need to be changed from those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the skin material 51 is formed by covering the back surface of a base material 53 with a conductive backing material 35. Various kinds of cloth-like materials constituting the conventional skin material such as fabric including woven fabric and knitted fabric can be applied to the base material 53, and the material is not particularly limited. As a method for coating the base material 53 with the conductive backing material 35, the method for coating the fabric 33 exemplified as the manufacturing methods A and B of the first embodiment can be applied.

  Conductive yarns 23 are disposed on the skin material 51 along the back surface 51b. The conductive yarn 23 is disposed so as to be in contact with the conductive backing material 35. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of conductive yarns 23 are arranged at intervals so as to draw a waveform. The outer surface of the conductive yarn 23 is not covered with insulation, and the outer surface is in electrical contact with the conductive backing material 35 by contacting the conductive backing material 35. A conductive member (not shown) is connected to both ends of the conductive yarn 23, and a power supply device (not shown) is connected to the conductive member, so that a parallel circuit is formed and can be energized. By energizing the conductive yarn 23, the conductive backing material 35 can be energized via the conductive yarn 23. Therefore, when the conductive yarn 23 is energized, the conductive yarn 23 generates heat, and at the same time, the conductive backing material 35 is also energized via the conductive yarn 23 and the conductive backing material 35 also generates heat to generate the skin material 31. The whole can generate heat.

  In order to generate heat in the conductive backing material 35 as described above, a configuration in which the conductive yarn 23 is held along the back surface 51b of the skin material 51 so as to be in contact with the conductive backing material 35 will be described. In the present embodiment, the cover material 55 is held between the cover material 55 and the skin material 51 laminated on the back surface 51 b side of the skin material 51. The cover pad 55 is provided for the purpose of retaining the shape of the skin material 51, and is made of, for example, a thin urethane pad. The cover pad 55 is fixed to the back surface 51b of the skin material 51 by a known method such as adhesion or frame lamination. The conductive yarn 23 is held between the skin material 51 and the cover pad 55 by the fixing force. That is, the conductive pad 23 is fixed to the skin material 51 in a state where the conductive thread 23 is inserted between the skin material 51 and the cover pad 55, so that the conductive thread 23 becomes conductive on the back surface 51 b of the skin material 51. The backing material 35 is held in a state where it can be contacted.

According to the skin material 51 of the above structure, there exist the following effects.
The skin material 51 is heated not only by the conductive yarn 23 but also by the conductive backing material 35 through the conductive yarn 23 to generate heat. Therefore, the portion where the conductive yarn 23 is disposed and the surrounding conductive yarn 23 are arranged. The temperature boundary with the non-installed part is blurred, making it difficult for the seated person to feel uneven temperature.
Further, similarly to the skin material 31 of the first embodiment, it is possible to increase the heating effect by adding gradation to the heat generation temperature in the surface direction by gradually changing the electric resistance value in the surface direction of the conductive backing material 35. It is.

It should be noted that the second embodiment can be considered as various other embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, the means for holding the conductive yarn 23 along the back surface 51b of the skin material 51 so as to be in contact with the conductive backing material 35 is not limited to the configuration illustrated above. For example, the conductive yarn 23 can be arranged in a state of contacting the conductive backing material 35 by sewing on the back surface 51b of the skin material 51 or the surface of the cover pad 55 facing the skin material 51.

  In the first and second embodiments, the configuration in which the entire skin material is heated by covering substantially the entire back surface of the skin material with the conductive backing material 35 is illustrated. It is also possible to cover a part of the region where the contour is to be blurred with the conductive backing material 35 and to generate heat in a planar shape in a part of the skin material.

11 Vehicle seat 15a Backrest (seat surface)
21 Sheet heater 23 Conductive thread 31 Skin material 31b Back surface (skin material) 33 Fabric 35 Conductive backing material 51 Skin material 51b Back surface (skin material)

Claims (3)

A skin material for a vehicle seat that constitutes a seating surface with which a seated person comes into contact,
At least a part of the back surface opposite to the surface constituting the seating surface is covered with a conductive backing material, and in the surface direction of the skin material, a conductive yarn that generates heat when energized is the conductive backing material. The conductive backing material is arranged to be in contact with the material, and the conductive backing material is energized via the conductive yarn, and the conductive backing material also generates heat together with the conductive yarn to constitute a seat heater. A vehicle seat covering material characterized by the above. A skin material for a vehicle seat according to claim 1,
A skin material for a vehicle seat, wherein the conductive yarn is included in a structure of the skin material. A skin material for a vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2,
The electrically conductive backing material has an electric resistance value that gradually changes in the surface direction of the skin material.

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